In the field of lumbar disc surgery there are no two more important tools than the nerve root retractor and the sucker. During an operation, the nerve root retractor is used by a medical professional to hold the nerve to one side so that the operating surgeon can remove disc material without damaging the nerve. In turn the sucker is used in turn to remove blood or other fluids that accumulate in the surgical area to ensure that the medical professional has good visualization of the surgical area during operation.
In such spinal surgery, the design of the sucker and nerve root retractor are very important. For example, most lumbar disc surgery suckers have a small vent hole on the top of the device such that exposing the hole leads to an instantaneous reduction in the suction force being applied to the surgical region. The ability to reduce the suction is important because during surgery the dura, or covering material in the spine is periodically breached, spinal fluid leaks out and sometimes washes nerve roots out of the dural sac. These nerve roots can get sucked into the sucker and if no mechanism for instantly reduction the suction were available the possibility would exist that the sucker could suck the nerve out through the rent in the dura and shear and/or traumatize the nerve root, possible damaging it irreparably. The vent in the sucker allows a medical professional to grossly regulate the suction being applied by the nerve sucker thereby reducing the chances of such a catastrophic injury.
Although the nerve root retractor and the sucker have been used in surgery for many years, they require two separate hands of a highly trained medical personnel for proper operation. Having extra personnel during surgery is very costly and many insurance companies are no longer authorizing or paying for assistants for surgeons during these delicate operations. To address this new medical reality some companies have introduced dual purpose tools for both retracting and sucking. One exemplary nerve root retractor and sucker was made by Karlin Technology, Inc (Part # 46-3005). However, these devices were generally clumsy, bulky, and inflexible, and are therefore difficult to use for the delicate procedures required during lumbar disc surgery.
Accordingly, a need exists for an ergonomically and functionally improved nerve root retractor and sucker for use in lumbar disc surgery, if necessary for use by a solo spine surgeon who has no assistant.